


apex predator (technically)

by TheQueenInTheNorth



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Pre-Relationship, Shipping isn't the focus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-26
Updated: 2019-06-26
Packaged: 2020-05-20 06:23:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19371202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheQueenInTheNorth/pseuds/TheQueenInTheNorth
Summary: The perfect pet to help an ex-killer robot connect to her newfound humanity? A kitten, of course.





	apex predator (technically)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lalalyds2](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lalalyds2/gifts).



Daisy leaned against the doorframe, sipping her iced coffee and watching May and Aida walking back onto base, heading for the common room.

The former robot was practically bouncing along and kept stealing glances into the box May was holding.

“What’s she got there?”Elena asked, sidling up to Daisy.

“Kitten.” Daisy glanced at her briefly, not wanting to miss a moment. Aida was a little weird, not just because she’d almost murdered them all, but also in terms of general behaviour. But it was way too much fun to watch her trying to figure out how to… well, be human.“For Aida.”

Elena raised an eyebrow, leaning against the wall to watch, too.“I thought Coulson allowed no pets on base?”

“Yeah, usually, but May argued it might help with the whole ‘developing empathy’ stuff,”Daisy replied with a shrug.“Personally, I just think she’s whipped.” She mimed swinging a whip.“Wo-pah!”

Elena snorted.“I don’t know what is more disturbing: that you think May’s into Little Miss Terminator, or that you think that was a whip sound.”

Daisy graciously ignored the second part of that.“Seriously, pay better attention. While we had Fake May hanging around, Real May was with her a while before the framework. I’m pretty sure something went down.”

Elena made a small sound that was neither agreement nor counterargument, then said,“Let’s go over there, I don’t want to miss it.”

They walked over just as May took the kitten, an adorable tabby, out of the box and placed her on the sofa, the two women sitting down on the floor in front of it.

The kitten was carefully inspecting the piece of yarn May’d set down for her.

“She’s so small,”Aida whispered. By the way May just nodded and vaguely patted her arm, she must’ve repeated that a few times already.

“Hey,”Daisy said.“Cute cat.”

Aida looked up and beamed at her.“Isn’t she? Her name’s Agouti-signaling gene.”

Daisy choked on the sip of coffee she’d just taken, coughing as Elena thumped her back. Luckily, Elena managed to remain a little more diplomatic.“That’s a very unique name.”

“I’m of the understanding one names their cats after physical attributes often,”Aida said. Then, her smile faltering at their confused looks, she added,“It means she’s a tabby.”

“Yeah, no, I got that,”Daisy claimed, which brought back Aida’s smile.

May shot her a thankful look before returning her attention to Aida.“Go on, pet Gouti.”

Daisy and Elena exchanged glances, both biting back laughter at the subtle attempt to make the cat’s name more normal. They settled down on the armchairs opposite the sofa to watch.

“But I might hurt her,”Aida said.

“You won’t.” May stroked the cat herself a few times.“See? She likes that. Just copy me.” Then she chuckled at her own words.“Though less literally than last time, please.”

Daisy gave Elena a very pointed look. May joking about her LMD was really another point in favour of Daisy’s theory that she hadn’t entirely minded her time as Aida’s captive. Elena shrugged, then nodded, then made a whip-sound that was admittedly way better than Daisy’s.

May looked over at them briefly but Aida was completely focused on the kitten, very carefully inching her hand towards Gouti. The kitten in turn crawled closer to the advancing hand, headbutting Aida’s knuckles.

“Is that bad?”Aida asked.“Is she pushing me away?”

“She wants you to scratch her head,”May said.

Aida looked at her, bewildered.“Scratch her? That doesn’t sound right, Melinda.”

 _Melinda_ , Elena mouthed at Daisy, who mouthed back, _Told you so._

“This better not be a joke,”Aida warned, then did as May had suggested

Gouti started purring. Aida gasped in surprise, then started cooing at the kitten.

Or, well, she probably considered it cooing. To Daisy it sounded kind of like she was rattling off a Wikipedia article about cats with the occasional baby talk in there. Though she had to admit ‘you’re an apex predator, yes, you are!’ wasn’t that unusual for a cat person to say.

May leaned back against the coffee table, eyes on Aida rather than the kitten, a soft smile on her face.

It was a lovely, peaceful moment - until Gouti rolled over to present her belly for petting and accidentally rolled off the edge of the sofa.

Aida was instantly on her feet, her horrified scream echoing of the walls.

Four agents came rushing in, night-night guns at the ready.

Elena made a quick round to disarm them, knowing everyone was still nervous around Aida, then explained the situation. They left in various degrees of embarrassment.

Meanwhile, May had scooped up Gouti and was trying to calm down Aida.

“It’s fine, cats fall off stuff, they don’t mind,”she said, voice raised over Aida’s sobbing.

“I hurt her,”Aida insisted.“We have to take her back so she can be safe.”

“Nonsense,”May said, then pushed Aida onto the sofa and dumped the kitten in her lap.

Gouti stretched out happily and pawed at Aida’s hand until she hesitantly started petting the kitten again.

“She doesn’t hate me,”Aida whispered.

May sat down next to her.“Of course she doesn’t.”

Aida’s free hand brushed against May’s. Daisy held her breath, pretending to be looking at the kitten.

“Okay, let’s get to training,”Elena said, shooting to her feet.

Daisy scowled at her.“But we already-”

Elena grabbed her arm and dragged her from the room anyways.

 

“Why are we having dinner in the common room, exactly?”Mack asked on the way there.

Daisy had told them all in the group chat but hadn’t bothered to elaborate.

Elena shrugged.“My guess is it’s got something to do with her notion of May dating Aida.”

“May what?” Mack raised a hand to stop her from saying more.“I feel like I don’t even want to know.”

FitzSimmons arrived from the opposite direction at the same time as they did, also looking slightly confused.

“Why are we eating here?”Fitz asked as they walked into the room.

May, Coulson, and Daisy were bringing trays of food over from the kitchen. Aida was sitting on the sofa. She was the one to answer.“Gouti fell asleep on me. Melinda said I shouldn’t move.”

“Didn’t mean for five hours,”May remarked drily, though she said it with a fond smile.

“Gouti?”Simmons asked. She took a few steps closer and got a good look at the tabby.“Oh, for Agouti-signaling gene?”

“Dios,”Elena said.“There’s two of them.”


End file.
